Further examination of California prunes, apricots, plums and nectarines

■ OF T^g
COLLEGE OF AG&fOlimiW

cop\

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION,

BERKELEY, CAL.

E. W. HILGARD, Director*

E. /. WICK SON, Acting Director.

BULLETIN NO. 101

fURT}HEF? EX/VJVIIJMATIOJM Of GALIfORNIA PRUJMES, AfRICOTS,
PLUJV1S /VND JMECTARIJMES.

Note. — For the purposes of this discussion a
distinction is made between plums and prunes, as is
common in the horticultural literature of this State.
By the term "prune" is singified a plum which
dries successfully, without removal of the pit, and
produces a sweet dried fruit, though in the confu-
sion of our nomenclature, not even this broad classi-
fication is faithfully followed. For example, we
have the " Hungarian prune " as a local traditional
name for Pond's Seedling plum, which has no value
as a prune; and we have also Coe's Golden Drop
plum which does answer the requirements for a
dried prune, and in that form is marketed as a
prune, and sometimes given fancy names by pack-
ers. We do not, however, in this publication, at-
tempt to correct the classification, but follow the
popular arrangement.

The order of enumeration of fruits in the head
line above, and in the tabular statements which
follow, is based upon the relative commercial im-
portance of the fruits in this State. An arrangement
of the chief table of analyses is also made to bring
into juxtaposition the varieties from adjacent regions
of the State that effects of local climates and soils
upon the same variety may be disclosed if such exist.
As this is only the beginning of such investigation,
the results in this regard should be looked

♦Absent on leave, 12 mos., from June 15, 1892.

upon as tentative. Many more analyses are required
to demonstrate constant differences of this nature,
and we invite the sending of representative samples
of named varieties from all parts of the State. It is
well to send about ten pounds of each variety, each
specimen being wrapped to prevent bruising. Such
samples may be sent by express at our expense.
Each shipment should be accompanied by a letter
giving name of varfety, age of tree and stock upon
which it is budded or grafted, location of orchard,
and name of grower ; also notes of culture, irriga-
tion, etc. Address such shipments to " Agricultural
Experiment Station, University of California, Berke-
ley, Calif."

This bulletin is a continuation of the work re-
ported in Bulletin 97 of this Station, and in some
paragraphs the text is reproduced, only changing
figures to include the results of a greater number of
analyses. It is perhaps only fair to Mr. Colby to
state that the analyses of the fruit grown in 1892
are his personal work, and have been made without
assistance. E. J. Wickson.

The subjects discussed in this paper are
summarily set forth in the following quota-
tion from Bulletin 93 of this department :

"The purpose of this work is to show compre-
hensively the proximate and ash composition of

the leading varieties of fruit as grown in the princi- No. 34 (unirrigated). Condition only fair,

pal fruit regions; and inferential^, the influence fruit being slightly shriveled; flesh not as

exercised upon them by the prominent conditions of firm ag thgt of Nq sjze , tag^

soil, climate, fertilizers, etc. The physical data __ , . . . ^ ,x _ ...

, * •. a u . \ t • . . sweet. No. 35 (winter irrigated). Condition

(proportion of pits to flesh, etc.,) are of interest .

from a commercial standpoint, as showing what is Sood» fruit full> well-rounded and firm-
being purchased as to available and waste material, fleshed; oversized, flesh tender and more
etc. juicy than that of No. 34. No. 36 (irrigated
"The consumer, though usually considering fruit jn June). Condition fair, fruit slightly shriv-
as a luxury, would derive much valuable knowledge ded and yery ripe> nQt as large as either Nq

from studying the fruits in their relative values as „ , ... ^ _, . , ^- lt_

* * rJ. . ,. , • „ 34 or 35; flesh, like that of No. 34, rather

foods. The nourishing portions, shown especially ^ UJ ' ■'T'

by the nitrogenous and saccharine contents, vary coarse-textured and not as juicy or tender as

greatly with the variety and conditions of growth, that of No. 35.

It is not, then, a matter of indifference to the con- F. M. Righter, vice president of the Camp-

sumer what fruit he uses, but an important question bell Fruit Growers' Union, writes: " There

of domestic economy. js a great varjety of soil in this valley; it is

"The ash ingredients, together with the nitrogen generally a gravelly loam-a sediment de-
contents of the standard varieties, are of high interest . , . ., _ „ . ,

.7 ., . t. e .. • . .. posited by the Los Gatos creek — and upon

in connection with vital question of sou exhaustion r m ' r

and fertilization. The soil ingredients extracted by this the prunes were grown. This soil is

an ordinary crop are a serious drain upon the sup- very porous, trees cannot be injured by water

porting soil, and the lines of heaviest draft can only during winter — have had several feet of

become known by the actual determination of the water around some of my trees as late as

constitutents withdrawn." june without injuring them. The soil varies

Description of Prunes, Apricots and in depth from 10 to 18 feet, in some places

Plums Received in 1892. the soil t0 the depth of four or five feet is

(For a description of these fruits received very sandy, below that there is more clay."

and analyzed in 1891 see bulletin No. 97, of Nos. 40 and 41 French, Ventura, Ven-

this station.) tura Co. — J. W. Anderson, grower; samples

prunes. received Sept. 5, 1892. No. 40 "large" is

No. 31, French, Auburn, Placer Co.— usual in size ; flesh, firm, rather juicy and

Young Bros., growers; sample received Oct. sweet tasted. No. 41 "small," undersized,

7,1892; condition good; size, large; taste, large-pitted fruit. "These prunes are from a

very sweet; flesh firm and juicy. "The soil mountain-valley orchard 2>£ miles from sea,

is red slate, well drained with southern ex- elevation 700 feet, with mountains 2000 feet

posure; very little irrigation used." high between the valley and ocean. The

No. 32, French, Newcastle, Placer Co.— larger (No. 40) was raised on sandy soil ;

E. B. Silva, grower; sample received Sept. the smaller (No. 41) ones on heavier soil."
23, 1892; condition somewhat poor — fruit a No. 42, French, Pomona, Los Angeles Co.

little shriveled and very ripe; size, small; —P. M. Doyle, grower, sample received

flesh rather juicy and very sweet. Sept. 6, 1892. Condition, good ; size, usual;

No. 33, French, Yuba City, Sutter Co.— fruit, hard and juicy, but not very sweet.
R. C. Kells, grower; sample received Sept. Mr. John S. Calkins, who procured this
27, 1892; condition fair, but very ripe. "The sample for the Station, writes: "These
soil is a sandy loam with a dark clay sub- prunes are from an orchard 7 years old,
soil — top soil being of a dark gray or light growing on sandy loam soil, \\ miles north-
brown color; ranch lays about three-quarters east of Pomona, on the Kingsley tract,
of a mile from west bank of the Feather Trees bore good crop last year, also being
river, drainage good. Trees eight years very full this year."
old on peach root." No. 44, French, Chino, San Bernardino

Nos. 34, 35 and 36, French, Campbell, Co. — J. W. Lawson, grower; samples re-
Santa Clara Co.— Campbell Fruit-Growers' ceived Sept. 20, 1892. Conditions, good;
Union, growers. Samples Nos. 34 and 35 flesh, tender and juicy. "Soil, sandy loam;
received Sept. 1, '92; No. 36, Sept. 21, '92. elevation, 300-400 feet; orchard situated 2

miles due north of Chino Exp't. Station.
Trees, 5 years old; irrigation resorted to
once each month during dry season. Ground
has been fertilized but once and then stable-
manure only was used."

No. 37, Robe de Sergent, San Jose, Santa
Clara Co. — John Rock, grower; sample re-
ceived Aug. 25, 1892. Condition, good ;
fully ripe and more juicy than that of No. 5;
flesh, tender and sweeter than the previous
year's sample.

No. 38, Fellenberg, San Jose, Santa
Clara Co.— John Rock, grower; sample re-
ceived Aug. 25, 1892. Condition, good;
fully ripe; flesh, hard and juicy, only mod-
erately sweet.

No. 39, Bulgarian, San Jose, Santa Clara
Co. — John Rock, grower; sample received
Sept. 30, 1892. Condition, rather poor,
over-ripe and shriveled; examined for the
sake of comparing sugar contents with that
of No. 8, the same variety of crop of 1891.

Of these samples Nos. 37, 38, 39, Mr.
Rock says^ "Last season (1 891) they were
all overbearing and lacked flavor, this year
(1892) the crop is light and the fruit better.
The land on which the prunes were grown is
a sandy alluvial soil, made by deposits from
Coyote Creek. These deposits are from
four to six feet deep, under which lays a
statum of three to four feet of loam, under
this a sandy layer lighter than the surface
soil. During the summer the ground water
is from fourteen to eighteen feet below the
surface."

PLUMS. *

No. 45, Coe's Golden Drop, Auburn,
Placer Co. — Young Bros., growers; sample
received Oct. 7, 1892; condition good —
sample somewhat larger than that from
Marysville (No. 46); flesh firm and not as
juicy as the French prunes.

No. 46, Coe's Golden Drop, Marysville,
Yuba Co. — Dr. S. Jewett, grower; sample
received Aug. 30, 1892; condition excellent;
flesh firm and juicy.

No. 47, Yellow Egg, Marysville, Yuba
Co. — Dr. S. Jewett, grower; sample received
Aug. 30, 1892; condition very good; flesh
firm and more juicy than that of the other
plums. Both No. 46 and 47 were from trees

six years old grown on heavy sandy loam
soil with clay sub-soil.

APRICOTS.

No. 25, Royal, Concord, Contra Costa
Co. — J. T. Sutton, grower; sample received
Aug. 1, 1892; condition good; sample fully
ripe and very large, from young trees three
years old.

No. 26, Royal Oleander, Fresno Co. — J.
H. Harding, grower; sample received June

24, 1892; condition excellent; undersized;
flesh quite juicy, but not very sweet; flavor
peachy. "This year my trees are so heavily
loaded that the fruit is very small, the trees
have not had any irrigation for two years;
age of trees nine years, have made only
medium growth and have borne very
heavily for five years. Soil sandy, slightly
tending to white ash, sub-water level ten
feet below surface."

No. 27, Royal, Santa Maria, San Luis
Obispo Co. — L. E. Blochman, grower;
sample received Aug. 10, 1892; condition
good, quite ripe, color high; usual size; flesh
firm and rather juicy.

No. 28, Royal, North Pomona, Los
Angeles Co. — Mrs. J. L. Loomis, grower;
sample received July 2, 1892; condition ex-
cellent; fruit fully ripe and quite large; flesh
tender and very juicy. Mr. J. S. Calkins,
who obtained the samples for the Station,
writes: "Trees seven years old, in gravelly
loam soil, irrigated once this year. The
location is about three miles sotuh of the
foothills of the Sierra Madre mountains."

No. 29, Hemskirk, Oleander, Fresno Co.
— A. Allision, grower; sample received June

25, 1892; condition good; flesh firm and
juicy. "Trees nine years old, heavy regu-
lar bearers, soil white ash, water level seven
and a half feet below surface."

No. 30, Moorpark, Oleander, Fresno
Co. — J. H. Harding, grower; sample re-
ceived, June 25, 1892; condition very good;
color light. "Soil sandy; trees nine years old
and unirrigated; water level, ten feet."

NECTARINE.

No. 48, " The New White," Yuba City,
Sutter Co. — H. P. Stabler, grower; sample re-
ceived, Sept. 1, 1892; condition excellent;

a very large-sized light-colored fruit, very smaller difference than is found in the prunes

juicy and pleasantly tart to taste; flesh very or plums, viz., 3.8 per cent for prunes and

delicate. 2.7 for plums as against 1.8 for apricots.

Discussion of Results of Analyses. The averaSe Ph contents is 6.2 per cent;

_ , e the flesh, then, is 15 times more in amount

The table given below shows the results of . „ ,, . . . . .-.

,*?.,, „ , than pits. Here, again, there is but a trifling

the analytical work for the seasons 1891 and , \ ' ? \ . . ,

, J , n y advantage in choice of varieties, so far as

1892, that of 1892 covering a greater area ., . ,, t a . , . .

* ' , y , , ~ & , . , , , the proportion "between flesh and pit is con-

of the State than that of 1891, which dealt r,r

. , „ ^, ,; , • o , cerned.

mostly with Santa Clara valley fruits. Sub- _ . . , t £ . '

,. . . , . , , . • . , For equal weights of prunes and apricots,

division A gives the physical and genera , / , . ? , r .

■ , ■ T 1 . - . * whole fresh fruit, the consumer receives

proximate analyses, and under this head we . . t „ , ....

f , , _ ' .. , . nearly the same amount of flesh or available

have added to that of the previous season , , . . .

, , . . matter; but the apricots being about 2.7

the separation of the pit into its component . .. 5

r , „ , , , , , times larger than the prunes, we have, on

parts — shells and kernels — and reported up- .

r , , , r r the average, 7.5 apricots as against 20.3

on the nitrogen contents of these separate , . , „,, .

„'.,... „ . , , , prunes per pound avoirdupois. This same

parts. Subdivision B gives the results of j.fl r . 1! » 4. 1

, , _ . j . , . ... difference seems to exist between the plums

the complete analysis of the ash, in which ,

we have considerably extended the work, as ., E„ ,an ana, 0, these {ruits

compared w,th that of 1891, to northern and fi which do not differ materia„v from

southern California fruits. ... t . . , . ., , . , , t.

T , , , , , . , those furnished m the above table; the

In the following discussion of the chief •*.#■-

, , , , , . ,, average pit percentages for prunes is 5.4,

points illustrated by the tables, we shall use c . „ m .- . . . , , . . .

r , , ^ .. . r for apricots 5.3, the weights for whole fruits

such parts of Bulletin 97 as answer for com- t , . . kU . t . , „

. r / ' , . not being given in the analyses at hand."

parison, etc., without further reference to it. r~* t, , , „

r ' ' The proportion, on the average, of shells

Proportions of Pits to Flesh. to kernels in the pits of the prunes and apri

Prunes. — The range in the percentages of cots examined seems to be very constant

pits is from 3.7, in Hungarian, No. 7, to 7.5 and nearly the same for both fruits, or about

in Robe de Sergent, No. 5; 5.8 per cent as 3 to 1. The kernels of all these fruits

representing the general averages for both were full and well developed; the largest

the French (No. 49) and all prunes (No. 50). pits, however, do not show, for either of

(No. 39, Bulgarian, with 9.2 per cent pits, these fruits, correspondingly heavy kernels,

by reason of its over-ripeness, is not in- Proportion of Juice to Flesh,

eluded in the above statement.) The later Prunes and Plums. — The French prune

work then verifies our previous conclusion on the average shows the largest proportion

that these fruits contain about 17 times as of free juice, 4.3 per cent more than the

much flesh as pits. average for all the prunes, namely, 8^ per

Plums. — In these the range in the percent- cent, or about four- fifths of the flesh. No.

ages of pits, somewhat less than that for prunes, 7, Hungarian, while the largest of the prunes

is from 3.4 per cent in Coe's Golden Drop, has 13 per cent less juice than the average

No. 45, to 6.1 per cent in Yellow Egg, No. French prune, i. e., 70 as against 83 per

47, the average being 4. 8 per cent, leaving cent. The plums , although not as large as

nearly 20 times as much flesh as pits. the Hungarian prune, are, on an average,

The consumer thus finds that the plums about 5 per cent higher in juice, a figure

possess a small advantage over the prunes, which nearly expresses the difference be-

and the prunes, on the whole, amongst tween the French prunes and the plums,

themselves, no appreciable advantage in Three-fourths of the flesh of the plum, aver-

regard to the proportion of pits to flesh. age, is juice, thus showing the prune-flesh

Apricots. — For the fully-ripe and largely- one-twentieth more juicy than than that of

grown varieties from all localities the varia- of the plum.

tion of pit percentages is from 5.3 (Moor- Apricots. — The proportion of juice to

park, No. 30) to 7.1 (Royal, No. 26), a flesh is nearly the same for all the samples,

an-aitsts

OF CALIFORNIA FIVCnSTES,

APRICOTS AISTD Fl/CXXrfIS,

..-PROXIMATE ANALYSES.

CROPS OF XSei A3&TJD 1892.

PRUNES.
Northern California.

French

French

French

Central California.

Prune d Agen*

Prune d'Agen*

Frenoh".

Frenoh (Winter Irrigated). .
French (Irrigated in JuLe)..

Wangenheim*

Robe de Sergent*

Robe de Sergent*

Fellenberg*.,

Fellenberg

Hungarian*

Bulgarian*

Bulgarian

Datte d'Hongrie*

St Catherine*

Southern California.

French ("large" )

Frenoh ( " small " )

Frenoh

Same as 42, after keeping three weeks

Frenoh

Averages— FreDCta Prunes (13).
Averages— All Prunes (23)

PLUMS.

Coe's Oolden Drop

Ooe's Golden Drop

Yellow Egg

Averages of Pluma(3)

APRICOTS.
Central California.

Royal

Royal*

Hemsklrk*

Blenheim*

Peach*

Moorpark*

Southern California.

Royal

Royal

Rojal

Hemsklrk

Moorpai k

Averages— Apr'cotn (11)

NECTARINE.
"The New White"

Production.

Auburn. Placer Co

Newcastle, Placer Co

Yuba City, Sutter Co

Mt. View, Santa Clara Co . .

Niles, Alameda Co

San Jose, Santa Clara Co..
Campbell, Santa Clara Co..
Campbell, Santa Clara Co. .
Campbell, Santa Clara Co. .
San Jose, Santa Clara Co..
San Jose, Santa Clara Co..
San Jose, Santa Clara Co..
San Jose, Santa Clara Co .
San Jose, Santa Clara Co.
San Jose, Santa Clara Co..
San Jose, Santa Clara Co..
San Jose, Santa Clara Co. .
San Jose, Santa Clara Co..
Ban Jose, Santa Clara Co..
San Jose, Santa Clara Co . .

Ventura, Ventura Co

Ventura, Ventura Co

Pomona, Los Angeles Co. . .
Pomona, Lob Angeles Co. . .
Ohino, San Bernardino Co.

Auburn, Placer Co...
Marysville, Yuba Co. .
Marysville, Yuba Co..

Concord, Contra Costa Co. ,

Niles, Alameda Co

Niles, Alameda Co

Niles, Alameda Co

Niles, Alameda Co

Niles, Alameda Co

Oleander, Fresno Co.

Santa Maria, Santa Barbara Co.

Pomona, Los Angeles Co

Oleander, Fresno Co

Oleander, Fresno Co

Yuba City, Sutter Co.

igBros

E. B Sllva ,

RC Kells

S.F.Leib ,

Wm. Mortimer ,

John Rock ,

pbell Fruit-Growers' Union
Campbell Fruit-Growers' Union.
Campbell Fruit-Growers' Union

JuhnRock

John Rock

John Rock

John Rock ,

John Rock

John Rook

John Rock

John Rock

John Rock

John Rook..

AND

Analysis.

Sept. 28, 1831
Aug, 26, 1891
8ept. 8, 1891
Sept. 1, 1892
Sept. 1, 1892
Sept. 21. 1892

J. W.

J. W. Anderson..

P.M.Doyle

P.M.Doyle

J. W. Lawson....

YouDg Bros...
Dr. S. Jewett.
Dr. S. Jewett.

T. Sutton.
Jas. Shinn...
Jas. Shlnn...
Jas. Shlnn...
Jas. Shinn...
Jas. Shinn...

Harding...
L. E. Blochman
Mrs. J. L. Loom!

A.Allison

J. H. Harding...

8, 1891

Sept. 30. 1892

Sept. 8, 1891

Sept. 8, 1891

Sept. 8, 1891

Sept. 5, 1892

Sept. 6. 1892

Sept. 6, 1892

Sept. 29, 1892

Sept. 20, 189i

1, 1892
Aug. 7, 1891
Aug. 14, 1891
Aug. 3, 1891
Aug. 14, 1891
Aug. 19, 1891

June 24, 1892
Aug. 10,
July 2, 1892
June 25, 18»2

PHYSICAL ANALYSIS.

21.0
236
256

68.5

51.0
51.8
60.4

81.0
57.5
59.2

41.7
61.0
67.0
07.1
66.5
62.4

102.5

20.4

23.1)
16.0
13.0
19.0
21.0
24.0
It. 3
17.5
17.5
0.0
18.8
26.5
18.9
22.2
20.0

21.0

28.1
17.0
22.0
21.6
20 4
20 2

6.6

90.8

95.3
94.0
94.8

94.3
93.8
94.9
93.5
93.3
94.2
94.2

96.6

94.9
93.9
95.2

0

i iS
: 5.a

pBf'

91.8
89.7
92.8
93.0
89.9
90.O

89.3

9.7
14.2
14.7
10.0
10.0

9.2
10.3

7.2

7.0
10.1
1O.0

ll&i

14,39

' H

17.68

33.10

25.00

28 69

20 OO

18.12

19 60

16.20

17.97

13.43
13.43
15.72
13.58

11.60
13.10
14 40
11.04
13.22
13.31

17.17

Iff

21.61
22.04
21.79

18 52
16.60
18.87
20.53
20.83
20.13

9.26
1178
16.71

9.20
11.13
11.20

8.37
16 30

9.06
13.36
16.21

20.20
19.29
15.20
27.29
20.53
19 70
16.11

13.16

14.90

12.70

13.25

13 92
8.43
12.44
14.34

19.00
18.10
14.36
*5.62
19.16
18.53
15.35

In Fresh Pita, per cent

.070
.000
.060
.040

.053

.08

III

19*

Ifflf

Hi

General Proximate Analysis.

71.31
72.82
77.88

72.31

BJ

80.00

77.43

23.43
19.905
22.65
34.394

19.88
17.14
19.56
13 96
19.562
14.11
16.87

16.63
18.27
20.78

27.054

19.497
22.035

14.962
14.34
14.70
14.845
14.05
13.61

15.194
14.300
15.773
12.753
13.567

10000
100.00
100.00

100.00
100.00
100.00

100.00

100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00

t 30 grams are equivalent to 1 ounce.

Analyses published in Bulletin 97.

.-ANALYSIS OF THE ASH.

I

Fruit.

Place

of

Production.

s

Composition of Pure Ash.

I

1

Fruit.

Place

of

Production.

i
it

i a

Composition of Pure Ash.

f

f

I

I

=1
It

: ¥ §■

►8

3>tr

ft

fl

i
f

3
j

H

i

f

!

}

E

§

1

j,

1*9

iff

If

if

03

If

it

1

f

fcll

f

•{

French Prunes.

>- Yuba City, Sutter Co. . . .
fSan Jose, Santa Clara Co.
> Pomona, Los Angeles Co.

.567
.623
.761
.442

•134
.582
.450
.431

S5I1
.486

66.92
70.72
24 63
65.92
69 50
24.01
63.67
67.87
20.60
63.83

.92
.84
H.13
3.18
3.07
-1.63

:i.2o

11.99

2.'e5

6.27

5.48
15.04
3.24
3.01
6.04
148
3.66
12.96
466

5.56
6.02

11.58
6.16
5.33

16.26
4.70
4.23
9.72
5.47

1.70
1.30
6.13
.85
.83
1.14
1.89
1.06
10.41
2.72

.36
.18

2.38
.31
.17

1.90
.61
.33

2.31

.39

12.91
11.16
29.49
13.19
11.56
32.98
16.14
15.23
25.92
14.08

2.54
2.40
4.13

2 37
2.13
5.40

3 15
2.84
4.63

2.68

2.67
2.44
6.33
4.56
4.30
7.88
1.99
1.46
7.41
3.07 .1

43
40
13
19
20
22
40
37
72
S4

99.98
100.00
99.97
99.97
100.10
100.16
100.13
100.04
100.01
99.99

.10

.11

.03
.05
.05
.05
.10
.09
.18
.08

99.88
99.89
99.94
99.92
100.05
100.11
100.03
99.95
99.83
99.91

»{

»{

54

Royal Apricots.

[•Niles, Alameda Co.

1- Pomona, Los Angeles Co.

.550
.542
.681

.407
.459
.592

.508

54.88
58.69
10.95

63.85
67.00
23.09

59.36

10.67
11.20
3.45

9.95
10.23
6.45

10.26

3.62
3.24
6.75

2.82
2.65
6.58

317

3.85
3.31
11.58

3.62
2.89
11.22

3.68

1.71

.77

12.39

1.66

.97

10.06

1.68

.21

.09
1.66

.54

.39
2.20

.37

13.86
11.20
43.76

12.33
10.88
30.96

13.09

2.95
2.76
5.38

2.32
2.35
1.84

2.63

7.85
8.31
2.58

2.62
2.27
7.09

5.23

.60
.58
1.65

.30
.28
.51

.45

100.00
100.04
100.14

99.91
100.11
100.00

99.92

.15
.14

.40

.08
.07

.12

.11

99.85
99.90
99.74

Whole Fruit

99.83
100.04
99.88

Whole Fruit

Average (Whole Fruit)

53

Average (Whole Fruit)

99.81

\

90 pet cent, or nine-tenths of the flesh being juice contained 33.10 pet Cent sugar, of

juice. No. 29, Hemskirk, with 93 per cent, nearly double what the original sample had.

being the juiciest, and No. 15, Blenheim, Referring again to the so-called hard-

with 85 per cent, the driest of the series. fleshed varities, Robe de Sergent, Fellenberg,

The average flesh of the apricots, from Bulgarian, etc., we note some differences in

this latest showing, is more juicy than that the sugar contents in favor of the later crop

of the prunes, in the ratio of 9 to 8. samples. No. 37, Robe de Sergent, shows

5.38 per cent more than No. 5 ; No. 38,

Sugar Contents of the Juice, Flesh Fellenberg) 2$ per cent more than No. 6.

an ru Xm No. 39, Bulgarian, nearly 13 per cent more

The work undertaken for the crops of 1891 than No. 8, a difference rather greater than

and 1892 did not comprehend the determi- we could probably expect if the samples

nation of the different sugars (dextrose, lev- were more nearly alike in maturity. No.

ulose, cane sugar, etc.), contained in prunes 39) as above stated in its description, was

and apricots; the length of time necessary far over-ripe. Some of these results may be

to complete such an investigation for each explained as due to the evident difference in

sample, required us to limit the work to the maturity at the time of the examination for

determination of the most important point— tw0 crops, and, as Mr. Rock writes in the

the total sugars. description above, to the general inferiority

Prunes. — The ripe, juicy soft-fleshed of the earlier crop ('91).
French prunes from all localities yield the The plums^ among themselves show, in
highest sugar percentages, averaging (No. the juice, a narrow range in sugar and
49), in the juice, 23.69 per cent; the hard- average about 18.0 per cent of that sub-
fleshed ripe prunes, represented by Nos. 4, stance — some 5.5 per cent less than the
5, 37, 6, 38, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 yield an aver- French prunes, and about 3.5 more than
age of 15.24 per cent sugar — 6.24 per cent the hard-fleshed varieties,
less, while the average sugar for the average Apricots. — The fruit from early localities
of all prunes (No. 50) is 20.00 per cent, or (picked in June) and from later localities
3.5 per cent less than that of the French (picked in August) show a remarkably close
prunes. We note, for the later crop French resemblance to each other in regard to sugar
prunes, a difference of five weeks between contents; the Royal, No. 16, with 15.06 per
the earliest and latest picking, No. 34 picked cent, and Peach, No. 17, with 15.72, the
on Sept. 1, and No. 31 gathered on Oct. 7, highest in sugar, showing but about 2 per
yet in the juice these contain nearly identical cent more than the general average, 13.31
amounts of sugar, 25.30 per cent, which, per cent, for the juice. Taking the general
when referred to the fresh fruit, shows the averages of sugar in the juice of prunes and
earlier sample to stand one per cent lower apricots (Nos. 50 and 52), we find that the
than the later, on account of its being more prunes run over 6 per cent higher; for the
iuicy. The maximum sugar percentage, whole fruit, 4.2 per cent higher. And as
26 45, in the juice is seen in No. 32 from compared with the average French prune
Newcastle, picked on Sept. 23 — 1.45 per cent (No. 49) the apricots show for the juice
higher than the earliest and latest French some 10 per cent less sugar; for the whole
prunes contain. This sample (No. 32) and fruit, somewhat over 7 per cent less. On
the others from the various localities gath- the whole fruit, the sugars of the apricots
ered in the third and fourth week of Sep- and plums more nearly resemble each other
tember point to that time as yielding the in amount, the average difference being 1.79
juiciest and sweetest fruits of their kind, per cent in favor of the plums. From the
No. 42, from Pomona, shows the least sugar results at hand, it seems that the Nectarine,
in the juice, 17.68 per cent; this sample as No. 48, has in the juice nearly 4 per cent
No. 43, after keeping three weeks at a tem- more sugar than the apricot, following in
perature of 6o° F., was still only a little this respect very closely the plums,
shriveled and quite edible, showed that its European reports of these fruits show that

c

the juice of prunes, dn the average, contains
6.15 per cent sugar, apricots 469 per cent
(one case is reported of a small variety of
apricots with 16.5 per cent sugar), these
figures being about three times less than
those herein presented for these fruits as
grown in California. There seems thus to
be good cause for the preference they have
so quickly attained in the market.

By reference to the small table following
the relations to each other of the average
sugar and acid contents of some California
fruits will readily be seen. For convenience
of comparison, the acid is expressed in terms
of sulphuric acid (S03).

PERCENTAGES OF SUGAR AND ACID.

Apricots

Prunes

French prunes

Plums

Peaches from Shas-
ta and Butte Cos..

Nectarine

Grapes from various
localities

Oranges from vari-
ous localities

Figs (White Adri-
atic) from Kern
and Fresno Cos

JUICE.

WHOLE
FRUIT.

Acid,
per
cent.

.40
.31

.48

.24
.62

.50

1.28

Sugar, per cent.

13.31
20.00

17.97

17.00
17.17

24.00
10.68

15 23.90

11.93
16.11
19.70
13.25

13.40
15.13

23.00

7.12

1110
15 35

1853
12.89

12.50
1411

20.70

5.40

19.20

Acid in the Juice.

Prunes. — The maximum, nearly one per
cent, is at once seen in Hungarian, No. 7;
the minimum, .23 per cent, in the Prune
d'Agen, No. 1; the average, .40 per cent, be-
ing almost twice the minimum.

Ptums.—Htre again we find a very wide
difference, even greater than the prunes
show ; the maximum being 1.00 per cent,
the minimum .20 per cent and average .48
per cent.

Apricots. — While the acids differ from .50
per cent to .90 per cent, they do not show as
great a diversity as the prunes in this re-
spect but on the average contain like the
nectarine about .20 per cent more acid.

In all these fruits it appears that low acids
are combined with high sugars. European
analyses, which report the acid in terms of
Malic, when corrected for Sulphuric, give
for prunes .51 percent, apricots, .70 per cent,

and peaches .5$ per cent, which do not
differ much, except for peaches, from those
we report.

Nutritive Values-Nitrogen Contents.

"The flesh-forming ingredients of any
article of food being of great importance as
regards its proper uses (see Bulletin 93 of the
department, relating to oranges and lemons),
it is of especial interest to compare in this
respect the prune, plum and apricot to other
fruits, and the different varieties of prunes,
plums and apricots amongst themselves."

The following little table shows how these
different fruits we have studied, may be rated
in their albuminoid contents, and distribu-
tion of the same in the several parts of the
fruit, as well as how they compare with
European fruits.

AVERAGE PERCENTAGES OF ALBUMINOIDS.

FRUITS.

>*•

u

<t> ^

IN
WHOLE
FRUIT.
TOTAL.

IN THE FRESH
FLESH, OR ED-
IBLE PORTION.

IN FRESH

PITS,
OR BIND.

Calculated upon whole
fresh fruit.

ORANGES.

California

European

35

1.14
1.78

1.25
.49

1.012
.780

1.13

.40

.375

1.50

1.42

.731

.760

.380

(Sicilian)

APRICOTS.

California

European

11

1.088
.837

.162

PRUNES.

California

20

.175

PLUMS.

California

European

3

1.00

.130

APPLES <fc PEARS.

European

FIGS.

California

2

(1.50)

(WhiteAdriat'c)

(Smyrna;

NECTARINES.

.625

.106

So far then, the fig rates first in flesh- form-
ing ingredients, with little choice between
the apricots and plums for second ; and for
third place, the prunes and oranges run
nearly even. Apparently, the Nectarine
falls far short of the above fruits in these
ingredients, but still ranges considerably
higher than apples and pears (from European
data only).

The prunes of the last crop ('92), have, in
in general, yielded a higher average albu-
minoid contents in the flesh, for we find .84

as against .76 per cent for crop '91. The
maximum of the series is seen in Nos. 33
and 44, French prunes, which contain, in
the edible portion alone, 1.30 per cent albu-
minoids, or .36 per cent more than the max-
imum (.94 per cent) of the crop of '91. At
no great distance we see placed No. 34, with
1. 12 per cent of these materials; No. 5,
Robe de Sergent, still shows the minimum
amount, .52 per cent. The French prunes
and plums have the eame quantity of albu-
minoids in the flesh, 1.12 per cent. In as
far as these flesh-forming ingredients were
determined iu the hard-fleshed varities, we
do not find such differences as in the French
prunes in total amounts between the two
crops ; Nos. 6 and 38, Fallenberg, having
respectively .139 and .140 per cents total,
and. 1 17 and .113 per cents in the fresh
flesh ; Nos. 5 and 37, Robe de Sergent
yield for totals respectively .134 and .130
per cents, and for fresh flesh .083 and .113
per cents.

Among the apricots, the flesh shows wide
differences in albuminoids, that of central
California fruits yielding the highest figures
in most instances, and as compared with
prune flesh, much greater variation. The
maximum of 1.44 per cent albuminoids, in
the flesh, is at once seen in No. 25, Royal,
from Contra Costa Co., and the minimum
of .737 per cent in No. 30, Moorpark, Fresno
Co.; with an average of 1.0 per cent for all.

With this portion of our work we give be-
low a summary of the food constituents of
some of our dried (cured) commercial
French prunes, dried apricots, grapes and
figs. The results, while inadequate as a
basis for general conclusions as to the rela-
tive food values of these fruits, nevertheless
indicate plainly that the nutrients, notably
the sugar and crude protein (albuminoids)
differ very widely, e g. the sugar in the grape
food is 20 per cent more than that of either
the apricot or apple, 12 per cent more than
that in the French prune, and only 5 per cent
less than what is given for the dried fig
(white Adriatic). Again, the fig with 4.50
crude protein is 1.60 per cent richer than
the grape, apricot, and French prune; how-
ever, these latter fruits are all nearly twice
as rich as the apple in albuminoids. The

maximum ash is in the fig — on the average
about 1 per cent more than that in the other
fruits.

PERCENTAGE COMPOSITION OP DRIED FRUITS.

CONTENTS.
PER CENT.

>t CD
C B
Bo

>
►B

M.
O

s

0

3

era

CO

•B
"B

5*

m

Dried.
Edible
Portion.

to
|* g.

: ct> T

' CD

H

C
B

Water

25.20
150

2.80

32.44

1.88

2.90

34.83
1.16

2.94
3.70

2.17

.56

52.50

.85
1.29

25.00
2 24

4.50

20 03
2.45

5.70

33.00

Ash

1.40

Album i n 0 i d s
(Crude Pro-
tein)

170

Crude Fiber ~|

8.30

Nitrogen— 1
free extract [

Fat J

Sugar

29.77

32.18

10.11

13.82

21.60

40.53
.40

29.59
1.51

57.60

.45

58.00

32.00

Free Acid, cai-
culated as
Sulphuric
(SOa)

2.00

Tannin

100.00

100.00

Total

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

*Dried and ground by R. E. Wood, Rutherford,
Napa Co., Cal.

Under this head, nitrogen contents, it is
worth referring again to the large table to
call attention to the distribution of the ni-
trogen in the several portions of these fruits(
First, then, it is readily seen that the flesh
holds 85 per cent of all the nitrogen, leaving
15 per cent of it as waste, so far as food
values are concerned. Second, the distribu-
tion of the nitrogen of the pits of the prunes
and apricots, to the kernels and shells ap-
pears to rate on the whole about the same,
(12 to 1) although we note great variation in
this respect in both fruits.

Ash Composition and Nitrogen Con-
tents.

Contrary to statements in our previous
publications (Bulletins 88 and 93 of this de-
partment), in which, according to European
data, the orange stands second (grapes being
first) among fruits in the quantity of mineral
matter withdrawn from the soil, we find that,
weight for weight, the fig has second place,
the orange third, and the prune, apricot and
plum fourth place; thus more than ever
bringing before us the fact that we cannot
safely use European results, as heretofore,
as a basis of comparison for our fruits.

8

Upon the basis of the preceding table of
this publication, those given in Bulletins 93
and 97 and the yet unpublished work upon
our figs, we have prepared the following
tabular view of the amounts, in pounds, of
vital soil ingredients extracted by the differ-
ent fruit crops (poor fruit alone) that will
have to be replaced by fertilization.

SOIL INGBEDIENTS EXTRACTED BY DIFFERENT FRUIT
CROPS.

Total

Phos.

FRUITS.

Ash

Potash

acid

Nitrogen

lbs.

lbs.

lbs.

lbs.

GRAPES.

European.

In each 1000 lbs

8.8

5.00

1.52

1.70

APRICOTS.

European.

In each 1000 lbs

4.90
147.00

.86

Crop of 30,000 lbs

25.80

California.

In each 1000 lbs

4.91

2.90

.64

1.94

Crop of 30 000 lbs

147.30

87.00

19.20

59.20

PRUNES.

European.

In each 1000 lbs

G.3

3.73

.95

1.22

Crop of 30,000 lbs

189.00

111.90

28 53

36.60

California.

In each 1000 lbs

4.86

3.10

.68

1.62

Crop of 30,000 lbs

145.80

93.00

20.40

48.60

PLUMS.

In each 1000 lbs

5.35

1.81

ORANGES.

European.

In each 1000 lbs

6.07

2.78

.67

2.69

Crop of 20,000 lba

121.40

55.60

13.40

53.80

California.

In each 1000 lbs

4.32

2.11

.53

1.83

Crop of 20,000 lbs

86.40

42.20

10.60

36.60

FIGS.

European.

In each 1000 lbs

8.00

2.27

.10

2.27

Crop of 15,000 lbs

120.00

34.05

1.50

34.05

California.

(White Adriatic.)

In each 1000 lbs

7.81

4.69

.86

2.38

crop of 15,000 lbs

117.15

70.45

12.90

35.70

California prunes thus appear to draw
much less upon all the mineral ingredients
which have to be replaced by fertilization
than the European; the latter, however,
draw much more lightly than the former
upon nitrogen. Apricots both of California
and European growth stand, in total amount,
about equal as to mineral ingredients with-
drawn; as to nitrogen, the California fruit
draws twice as much, showing the only very
material difference in the relative propor-
tions of the vital soil ingredients among
themselves as far as these two fruits are con-
cerned.

Potash. — In the ashes of prunes and apri-
cots and in the orange, potash is seen to be
the leading ingredient; in the prunes and

apricots fully three-fifths of the whole ash
and in orange at least one-half. In its dis-
tribution as between pits and flesh, the
greatest difference is shown by the European
prune; for apricots we have no foreign data.
Although potash constitutes so large a por-
tion of the ash of these fruits its replenish-
ment to the soil will be delayed long beyond
the addition of other fertilizing ingredients,
because most California soils are naturally
so well stocked with it that available potash
for the current demand will, in many cases
be adequately supplied for many years.

Phosphoric Acid is not so heavily drawn
upon in this respect as the European. Its
distribution between pits and flesh, also, is
not quite so variable as that of potash.
Since our soils usually contain a limited
supply of phosphoric acid, the prune and
apricot as well as the orange orchards will
require phosphatic fertilizers first, when they
are used.

Nitrogen. — Among our pitted fruits the
apricot leads in its demand upon the soil in
this substance, plums being quite the aver-
age of the apricots and prunes and re-
semble very much the orange in this
respect. Thus we find that, for the southern
localities especially, the same necessity of
early replacement of nitrogen in pitted fruit
as for orange orchards and partly for the
same reason, viz., that California soils are
usually not rich in their natural supply of
this substance.

Of the other ash ingredients, it will be
seen that lime is quite constant, although
much less in amount (for prunes) than
European standards show. Especially is
this difference seen in the comparison of the
ash analyses of the flesh and pits. In the
orange ash the lime content far exceeds that
of either the prune or apricot; accordingly,
as our soils generally contain plenty of lime,
even for oranges, we would rarely expect to
fertilize with a view to its replacement.
Soda is seen to be much higher here than
in European analyses of the ash of the
prune; this is probably explained by the fact
that California soils, like those of other arid
regions, contain much more soda than the
European. Geo. E. Colby.